Conveyer



g- 26, 1941- w. s. CAMPBELL I 2,253,761

CONVEYER Filed April 1., '1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 z. I w L I #352562? A1 1g 26, 1941. w. s. CAMPBELL 2,253,761

CONVEYER Filed April 1, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug. 26, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CONVEYER Willard S. Campbell, Hampshire, 111., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Cherry-Burrell Corporation, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Application April 1, 1940, Serial No. 327,145

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a conveyer for objects such as cases, milk cans, beer barrels or other similar articles.

.Among the objects of my invention is' to'provide a conveyer having pressed or formed metal parts providing a lighter and stronger construction; the parts being so formed that they may be packed and shipped in normal sized and shaped bundles without waste space and easily assembled and installed for immediate use. My removable clamping members eliminate the need of welding or'cumbersome bolt constructions. My rails with their rounded portions present minimum surface for friction with the conveyed objects and have no corners to catch and retain dirt, thereby providing maximum sanitary conditions. My swingable adjustable legs insure vertical supporting means regardless of the incline of the supported object. My conveyer contemplates such other objects, advantages and capabilities as will later more fully appear and which are inherently possessed by my invention.

While I have shown in the accompanying drawings a preferred form of my invention, yet I desire it understood that the same is susceptible of modification and change without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevational view partly broken of my conveyer; Fig. 2 is an end View of the power unit as shown is attached a housing 2|, which supports an idler wheel 22. The idler wheel 22 serves as a returning member for the chain l9. A spindle 23 is screw threaded to the housing 2| and upon the spindle 23 being turned in one or the other direction by manual operation of handle 24 the housing 2| and thus the idler wheel 22 are moved to a more forward or rear position to tighten or loosen the chain L! as desired.

The conveyer frame construction l3 has a plurality of spaced legs 25. Each of said legs 25 V has a hollow rounded bottom portion or base 26 on line 2-4 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a detailed sectional view of the conveyer frame shown on line 3--3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a sectional View of the take-up unit shown on line 44 of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is an enlarged detailed sectional view of the take-up unit; Fig. 6 is a detailed sectional view of the take-up unit on line 56 of Fig. 5; Fig, 7 is a detailed perspective view of my supporting yoke; Fig. 8 is a detailed sectional View of my supporting yoke with parts attached; Fig. 9 is a detailed view of the yoke showing a fastening pin in place; Fig. 10 is a detailed sectional view of the yoke on line Ill-I0 of Fig. 9; Fig. 11 is a detailed perspective view of a portion of the guide track.

The embodiment selected to illustrate my invention comprises a conveyer ll) having on one end a power unit H, on the other end a take-up unit I2 and a conveyer frame construction l3 therebetween.

The power unit II has a frame M with a top portion l5 which supports a motor l6 for moving through transmission means I1, wheel I 8 and chain I9.

The take-up unit 12 has a frame to which with an opening therein to receive a bolt or other suitablemeans for attaching the leg to the floor or ground. The base 26 has an upper shank 21 removably driven into the bottom of a hollow pipe or tube 28. The pipe may be of any desired 'height'or length. The upper end of the pipe 28 removably fits within the lower hollow portion of a head piece or cap casting 29. Said cap casting 29 has a split side flange 30 tightenable by a bolt 3!. Said cap casting 29 has an extension 32 at its upper portion with a knurled surface to engage the knurled surface of lower flange 33 of bracket 34. The-bracket 34 has a flat top portion 35 at substantially a right angle to flange 33. Bracket 34 may be swung at a desired angle with reference to extension 32 sothat the top surface 35 may contact andsupport an object at a desired angle, said extension 32, pipe 28 and base 26 still remaining perpendicular to the ground or floor. A bolt 36 removably attaches bracket 34 to tube 28 through flange 33 and extension 32 respectively.

The legs 25 are spaced and support yokes 31. Each of my yokes is formed of pressed or formed metal, such as steel. Each yoke has a bottom portion 38 which rests upon the top flat portion 35 of leg 25. Extending diagonally upwardly and outwardly from bottom portion 38 on either side are diagonal portions 39, which continue at 40 to form side portions 4|. The side portions 4| end with inwardly rounded or curved portions 42 above which are abbreviated straight top portions 43. At 40 a connecting member 44 extends from one side to the other of yoke3l.

Side rails 45 have a rounded central portion 46 and fiat portions '41 on either side thereof to accommodate clips 48. The side rails are positioned so that rounded portions 46 lie against and over rounded portions 42 of the yokes 31. Clips 48 extend through openings and tapered pins 49 extend through clips 48 to removably attach the side rails 45 to the yokes 31.

Pressed or formed from metal such as steel are guide tracks 5| having spaced edges 52 and a rounded top portion 53. Ordinarily a pair of spaced guide tracks 5! extend the length of conveyer frame l3 and lie with edges 52 down on connecting members is of yokes 31. They may be removably attached by running a bolt 60 upwardly through an opening 6| in connecting member 44 and an opening 54 in flat portion 55 extending between edges 52.

Between guide tracks 51 a chain track or channel guide 56 lies on top of connecting members 44 of yokes 37. The return portion of the channel guide 56 rests on the top of bottom portion 38 of yokes 31. The chain l9 travels within channel guide 56 and on a steel liner 51 whereby the chain friction is reduced to a minimum and the life of the chain is prolonged.

The legs of the power unit l and take-up unit- [2 have the same construction as the legs of my conveyer construction. The frame 20 of my takeup unit [2 has yokes 32', side rails 45, guide tracks 5| and channel guide 56 continuations from the conveyer frame as heretofore set forth. The

frame l3 of my power unit I l is likewise constructed wherever such parts are necessary.

In use it will be seen that a case or can travelling on my conveyer will suffer a minimum of friction. The rounded portions 46 of the side rails 45 and the rounded top portions 53 of the guide tracks When contacted will furnish practically no resistance. There is no damage of denting or scratching the conveyed objects. Ease of cleaning and maximum sanitation is apparent as there are no corners or catch-alls for dirt. Even the yolres are rounded to fit within the rounded side rails to carry out applicants conception of streamlined smoothness for maximum sanitary conditions and minimum friction.

With my adjustable legs my conveyer can be built on an incline, but with every leg in straight and perpendicular position. This insures perfect and continued support.

The parts are made of pressed metal so that strength is maintained with decrease in weight. Because the parts are so fabricated'it is possible to ship the par-ts knocked down and nested in a minimum of freight space. With the elimination of cutting, riveting and welding, and the attachment of, removable parts by clips, assembly and installation may be made by a single individual in quick time at a minimum of cost.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a conveyer, a plurality of spaced legs, a

lurality of spaced yokes supported on top of said legs, said yokes having spaced flat sides, each of said sides having a curved portion, spaced flat side rails, each of said side rails having a correspondingly curved portion, said side rails positioned against the sides of said yokes with the curved portions of the rails nesting with the curved portions of the sides of said yokes, and fastening means for removably attaching the side rails to the yokes.

2. In a conveyer, a plurality of spaced legs, a plurality of spaced yokes supported on top of said legs, said yokes having spaced side portions consisting of a straight lower portion, an inwardly curved portion and a straight upper portion, said straight portions having openings, spaced side raiis consisting of a straight lower portion, an inwardly curved portionand a straight upper portion, said straight portions having clips, said side rails being so positioned that the outer side of the curved portion nests against the inner side of the curved portion of the yoke and the outer sides of the upper and lower straight portions of the side rails lie against the respective inner sides of the upper and lower straight portions of the yokes with the clips of the side rails within the openings of the yokes, said clips having openings, and tapered pins extending through the openings in said clips.

3. In a conveyer, a plurality of spaced legs, a plurality of spaced yokes, each of said yokes havingaflat central portion, side portions extending outwardly and upwardly from said flat central portion and a fiat connecting portion extending between said side portions and spaced above said fiat central portion, the bottom of the fiat central portion of said yokes resting on the top portion of said legs, spaced side rails attached to the side portions ofsaid yokes, a chain guide mounted on andextendin'g between said connecting portions of said'yokes, a return chain guide mounted on and extending between said flat central portions of said yokes, and a power operated carrier chain travelling within said chain guides.

' IL D s. CAMPBELL. 

